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Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester
About: Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 251 publications have been published within this topic receiving 31610 citations. The topic is also known as: PCBM.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the carrier collection efficiency and energy conversion efficiency of polymer photovoltaic cells were improved by blending of the semiconducting polymer with C60 or its functionalized derivatives.
Abstract: The carrier collection efficiency (ηc) and energy conversion efficiency (ηe) of polymer photovoltaic cells were improved by blending of the semiconducting polymer with C60 or its functionalized derivatives. Composite films of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) and fullerenes exhibit ηc of about 29 percent of electrons per photon and ηe of about 2.9 percent, efficiencies that are better by more than two orders of magnitude than those that have been achieved with devices made with pure MEH-PPV. The efficient charge separation results from photoinduced electron transfer from the MEH-PPV (as donor) to C60 (as acceptor); the high collection efficiency results from a bicontinuous network of internal donor-acceptor heterojunctions.
9,611 citations
TL;DR: This review gives a general introduction to the materials, production techniques, working principles, critical parameters, and stability of the organic solar cells, and discusses the alternative approaches such as polymer/polymer solar cells and organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells.
Abstract: The need to develop inexpensive renewable energy sources stimulates scientific research for efficient, low-cost photovoltaic devices.1 The organic, polymer-based photovoltaic elements have introduced at least the potential of obtaining cheap and easy methods to produce energy from light.2 The possibility of chemically manipulating the material properties of polymers (plastics) combined with a variety of easy and cheap processing techniques has made polymer-based materials present in almost every aspect of modern society.3 Organic semiconductors have several advantages: (a) lowcost synthesis, and (b) easy manufacture of thin film devices by vacuum evaporation/sublimation or solution cast or printing technologies. Furthermore, organic semiconductor thin films may show high absorption coefficients4 exceeding 105 cm-1, which makes them good chromophores for optoelectronic applications. The electronic band gap of organic semiconductors can be engineered by chemical synthesis for simple color changing of light emitting diodes (LEDs).5 Charge carrier mobilities as high as 10 cm2/V‚s6 made them competitive with amorphous silicon.7 This review is organized as follows. In the first part, we will give a general introduction to the materials, production techniques, working principles, critical parameters, and stability of the organic solar cells. In the second part, we will focus on conjugated polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells, mainly on polyphenylenevinylene (PPV) derivatives/(1-(3-methoxycarbonyl) propyl-1-phenyl[6,6]C61) (PCBM) fullerene derivatives and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/PCBM systems. In the third part, we will discuss the alternative approaches such as polymer/polymer solar cells and organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells. In the fourth part, we will suggest possible routes for further improvements and finish with some conclusions. The different papers mentioned in the text have been chosen for didactical purposes and cannot reflect the chronology of the research field nor have a claim of completeness. The further interested reader is referred to the vast amount of quality papers published in this field during the past decade.
6,059 citations
TL;DR: By applying specific fabrication conditions summarized in the Experimental section and post-production annealing at 150°C, polymer solar cells with power-conversion efficiency approaching 5% were demonstrated.
Abstract: By applying the specific fabrication conditions summarized in the Experimental section and post-production annealing at 150 °C, polymer solar cells with power-conversion efficiency approaching 5 % are demonstrated. These devices exhibit remarkable thermal stability. We attribute the improved performance to changes in the bulk heterojunction material induced by thermal annealing. The improved nanoscale morphology, the increased crystallinity of the semiconducting polymer, and the improved contact to the electron-collecting electrode facilitate charge generation, charge transport to, and charge collection at the electrodes, thereby enhancing the device efficiency by lowering the series resistance of the polymer solar cells.
4,513 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of polymer regioregularity (RR) on the molecular nanostructure, and hence on the resulting material properties and device performance has been investigated, which can be attributed to enhanced optical absorption and transport resulting from the organization of P3HT chains and domains.
Abstract: Low-cost photovoltaic energy conversion using conjugated molecular materials has become increasingly feasible through the development of organic ‘bulk heterojunction (BHJ)’ structures1,2,3,4,5,6,7, where efficient light-induced charge separation is enabled by a large-area donor–acceptor interface2,3. The highest efficiencies have been achieved using blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and a fullerene derivative8,9,10,11,12, but performance depends critically on the material properties and processing conditions. This variability is believed to be influenced by the self-organizing properties of P3HT, which means that both optical13,14 and electronic15,16 properties are sensitive to the molecular packing. However, the relationship between molecular nanostructure, optoelectronic properties of the blend material and device performance has not yet been demonstrated. Here we focus on the influence of polymer regioregularity (RR) on the molecular nanostructure, and hence on the resulting material properties and device performance. We find a strong influence of RR on solar-cell performance, which can be attributed to enhanced optical absorption and transport resulting from the organization of P3HT chains and domains. Further optimization of devices using the highest RR material resulted in a power conversion efficiency of 4.4%, even without optimization of electrodes7.
2,268 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a post-production treatment that improves the performance of solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) was developed.
Abstract: Efficiencies of organic solar cells based on an interpenetrating network of a conjugated polymer and a fullerene as donor and acceptor materials still need to be improved for commercial use. We have developed a postproduction treatment that improves the performance of solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) by means of a tempering cycle at elevated temperatures in which an external voltage is simultaneously applied, resulting in a significant increase of the short-circuit current. Using this postproduction treatment, an enhancement of the short-circuit current density, Isc, to 8.5 mA cm–2 under illumination with white light at an illumination intensity of 800 W m–2 and an increase in external quantum efficiency (IPCE, incident photon to collected electron efficiency) to 70 % are demonstrated.
2,040 citations